


Seeds of Discord Pt. 3

by kbj1123



Series: Wonder Woman & Captain America [4]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Crossover Pairings, F/M, One True Pairing, Sexual Content, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 18:51:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3260639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kbj1123/pseuds/kbj1123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So, by request, here comes the sequel to “Wonders Never Cease.”  Usual caveats: 1) I have no rights to these characters nor do I get an iota of payment for these stories 2) I’m writing for my amusement, though I’m not gonna lie—I love it that people are reading my work and feedback/encouragement is always welcome 3) I do not have in-depth knowledge of any of the Marvel or DC universes, and rely heavily on movies, superficial research, and other unrelated stuff I know about.  That means there will be lots of inconsistencies in character histories and worlds.  I’m open to being corrected, but please be kind about it (see caveat #2).</p><p>This is the beginning of a sequel to "Wonders Never Cease." Someone or something is causing violent riots to erupt all over the U.S., and whatever it is, it wreaks havoc with both Wonder Woman's health and Bruce Banner's ability to keep his rage in check.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seeds of Discord Pt. 3

She pretends she doesn’t see him, but Diana knows Steve is watching her work. She knows he is drawing her as she pours over the printouts of reports she’s assembled across three long library tables. She smiles to herself. He thinks he’s being clever and surreptitious. “I’m sorry,” she finally announces. “I’m about to get up and change your angle.” She closes up a few folders and walks to another table, where she adds a few more lines and notes to a complicated chart she’s been working on.

Steve sighs and gets up to join her. “You’re overthinking it,” he tells her. He uses a green pencil to loop another line from one point on her chart to another. “This looks to be the more likely connection. Although, I still think it’s a far reach to say one major person or group is responsible for that much chaos. It’s too random.” He traces a finger along one of Diana’s lines linking the bombing of a women’s clinic in Massachusetts, four unprovoked violent outbreaks in the DC area, and a race riot in California. “You’re letting your imagination get the better of you. I can talk to Director Fury about putting you back on active duty. You just have to promise him you’ll follow orders, and quit jumping out his window when he’s talking to you.”

Diana frowns and shakes her head. “There is something to this—it’s the timing. And last time there would have been casualties had I not gotten there in time.” She drums her fingers on the table. “If I was a paranoid person, I’d almost think the last three riots were too perfectly-placed and timed, just for me to get involved.” She is certain that something catastrophic is just over the horizon. She rolls up her chart and puts it away. “This is giving me a headache. I need air.”

Steve smiles at her…at first. “You never get headaches.” But then he looks at her more closely. “Actually, you do look a little run down, now that you mention it. Do you want me to take you down to the infirmary?” She shakes her head. “I’m going to meditate with Bruce later. I’m sure I’ll feel better after that. You’re right. I don’t think I have ever been ill. I’m not sure I can even become unwell by natural means on this world.” She can see that he is still worried. She stands up and kisses him, which elicits an “aww” from some agents a few tables back. “Let’s at least go outside and get you that fresh air,” he suggests. 

The building’s third floor contains an indoor arboretum with a glass roof and walls, and raised flower beds and rock gardens. It is Diana’s favorite place to go during the day, and Steve guides her to her favorite spot, a low bench underneath a lemon tree. “Drink this. Stay hydrated,” he orders, handing her a water bottle. She doesn’t argue. Walking down a few hallways was difficult—as if the atmosphere had been pressing against her. She doesn’t try to protest that she’s fine. 

Thirty minutes later, when Bruce arrives to meet her for meditation, she is still laying in Steve’s lap, half-asleep. Steve strokes her hair; she knows he’s trying to ascertain whether she has a fever. Bruce points at her and mouths to Steve, “She okay?” She feels Steve shrug. “Hey Diana,” Bruce says. How about you let Steve take you to the infirmary and I’ll meet you there?” She mumbles something that she hopes sounds like “I’m fine; just give me a few minutes and I’ll be fine.” “Sounds like a yes to me,” Steve decides, and scoops her up in his arms. They take the elevator directly to the infirmary, using an emergency override code to keep it from stopping on other floors.

The next time Diana opens her eyes, she is locked inside a quarantine cell. Outside the cell, the room is in shambles, as if it’s been ripped apart. Actually, it looks like the Hulk’s been rampaging through. She can hear Steve’s voice, and Bruce’s…and Phil’s and Clint’s. Great Hera, who isn’t in this room? She forces herself to stand up and raps on the cell’s clear wall. Steve helps her out and explains that when Bruce put some electrodes to her head and turned on the EEG, it created an energy surge that caused him to transform into the Hulk, and then all available Avengers and security were called in. “This was the only safe place we could think to put you at the time,” he apologizes. 

By that evening, Diana feels fine again. She wishes she felt better about having her suspicions validated, though. Who or whatever is causing these riots all over the country is doing it purposefully. Whatever energy source they are using is affecting both her and Bruce. Hypothetically, it causes her pain because senseless violence is the antithesis to her entire reason for creation, and likewise, it intensifies Bruce’s anger, almost like flipping a light switch. They’ll need Tony and a few other scientists to figure out a safe way to test the idea.

Steve’s concerns are more immediate. He watched her more closely than usual through dinner, as if making sure she was nourishing herself. Normally, the feet massage and extra bit of pampering would have been nice, but as far as she is concerned, the crisis, as it were, has passed. “I’m okay now,” she assures Steve. She climbs into his lap and kisses him. “See? Stop worrying.” 

He hugs her tightly and replies “Nope. Never.”

“Steve…”

“I’m serious. When you made that contract with Hades last year, that when I died, you’d join me in the afterlife, you assumed that I’d go first. You gave up your immortality, but you still think and act as if you’re immortal. What if something out there really is making you sick? What if this turns out to be a fight you shouldn’t get involved in? If I lose you in this lifetime Diana…” he trails off, unable to find the right way to phrase the sentiment. “I’m just relieved that you’re okay for now, and we have an idea of what’s going on.” 

She scoots closer in and rests her head on his chest. They say nothing for a while, just holding onto one another. She wishes he wouldn’t worry so much. She can tell he’s sad by the way he is breathing and by the tension in his arms as he hugs her to him. “It was shortsighted and selfish,” she says into his heart. I’m not completely sorry I did it, but I should have discussed it with you and thought things through first.” 

He kisses the top of her head and wipes a tear from her face. “We can’t both be crying,” he says. “You said it was gonna be really hard to kill you, and I don’t plan on going anywhere. Besides, we’ve got a prophesy to fulfill.” 

It occurs to her that there is another reason he’s feeling so downhearted. “Are you disappointed about something that you’re not telling me?”

“I beg your pardon?” But he’s turning a shade of pink.

“You though I was pregnant, didn’t you?!” 

“Um…what’s the right answer?”

She smiles widely. “The answer,” she begins, and then kisses him, “is that I am not, nor am I sure this is that either of us are ready.” She kisses him again and dismounts him. She pulls him to standing, and starts to walk toward the bedroom. “But we can still practice.” 

He pretends to be exasperated. “Don’t you think about anything else? I feel so…so used.”

“I do think of other things,” she says, reaching around to unzip her dress. She steps out of it and continues, “But I am not at work, nor am I hungry or tired right now. Besides, you like it.”

He follows her into the bedroom and tackles her onto the bed. “That liking being used part: was that a description or a demand, Mrs. Goddess?” 

“You decide,” she teases. “I’ve had a rough day.”


End file.
